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michel camilo over rated??

my friend who came back from berkelee told me that michel camilo was considered one of the most over rated pianist over there. while hiromi uehara was one of the most popular..
wat's happening... ??? michel camilo is a monster player... already a well known figure in the history of latin jazz..is he really over rated?? cant he be considered one of the greats??

by rewsnat on 02/11/2007, 06:56

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hahaha, this just makes me laugh, cause i've seen michel camilo live twice. once in a solo setting and once with tomatito... he's an unbelievable virtuoso..

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by ayolt on 02/11/2007, 07:05

a monster player, he just doesn't play bop all the time which is probably why the students say that.

If I'm not back in 24 hours, call the president.

Scot is available for skype jazz piano lessons (and google hangouts, phone call, etc...)
Use the contact link at the top of the page.

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by Scot Ranney on 02/11/2007, 09:05

oh here we go again.
i'm beginning to think that "berklee students" all suffer from a napoleonic complex.
next time somebody says something like that, ask them to play for you.

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by CynBad on 02/11/2007, 10:02

oh, and it's funny that now hiromi is so popular at berklee, because according to one poster here, when she was at berklee, she was never one of "the cats". i guess now that she has a fine career going, they have changed their minds.
give me a break.
see, this is the kind of crap that happens when people feel the need to compare and "rank" everybody. in my opinion, this is anathema to the arts.

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by CynBad on 02/11/2007, 10:06

i don't know how michel camilo could be overrated. i never even hear him hyped up. even if he was though, i think he'd live up to it. he's brilliant rhythmically and complements it with an amazing modern jazz vocabulary.

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by grsbmd on 02/11/2007, 12:18

wow, i have to agree with the sentiments here. never heard him live, but from listening to him play, i don't think he's overrated, its more probable thats he's underated.

jv'

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by jazzvirtuoso on 02/11/2007, 19:00

micheal camilo's album with tomatito "spain" was mind blowing. i'd recommend this to any jazz pianist. a track on there-la vacilona, camilo did a octave run and it just ran tingles up and down my back. camilo is indeed a virtuoso, no doubt.

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by BlackWhiteKey on 02/11/2007, 19:52

every musician should check out michel camilo's performance of the song "from within" in the documentary video "calle 54".. it's simply amazing ... and inspiring

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by rewsnat on 02/12/2007, 00:36

one time, i was at a berklee event at the harvard club, checking out donna mcelroy(if you haven't heard her, you should.........amazing), when up walks this guy to sit in on the set. i didn't really know exactly what michel looks like, so i didn't know who it was. well, he started playing.....and my reaction was...."hmmmm............he's ok......why is he sitting in with donna mcelroy?" he was soloing over a blues. well, i was shocked when i found out it was michel camilo. he sure has some amazing chops.....but, when it comes to playing over a nice slow blues.......well.................it was not so good. so, yeah, in my opinion, he's overrated, at least as a jazz pianist. as a pianist, however.....he's really good. so, it depends on how you look at it, i guess. it was nice to come to an honest conclusion about his playing by not knowing who it was. gotta love the old blindfold test :o)

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by on 02/12/2007, 17:07

hmm, so because he failed your blindfold litmus test on a slow blues he overrated? :)

i sincerely doubt that he wouldn't have known how to solo over a slow blues. of course, any listening experience is highly subjective and you are certainly entitled to your own opionion.

what was your impression of him before that happened?

jv'

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by jazzvirtuoso on 02/12/2007, 20:55

michel is from the dominican republic. so, culturally the blues is not his "roots" so to speak. but, because of his latin culture he probably can play a bolero (slow ~ ballad type) better than any american jazz pianist. he probably wishes that he could play like an african-american blues master. he's got his strong latin/classical style which is a what he does. i've never heard hiromi play a great slow blues either - wait she's from japan!

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by MoJazz on 02/13/2007, 03:17

well, i'm sure he can play a bolero very well. like i said, it depends on how you look at it. what defines a "jazz" pianist, could be a subject of much debate. i don't really consider hiromi a great "jazz" pianist, either........but, she is an amazing pianist. it all depends on where you think the definition lies.

it's not that he didn't know how to solo over a slow blues. of course he knew what he was playing.........it just didn't seem to be a great performance over a blues. it lacked something that a great blues solo has. i hadn't heard him much before this, other than caribe 1000 times, because my roomate was working on scatting the solo. caribe is killin..........but......like you said, that style is more his bag. most stuff of his i've heard since is very amazing technically.......but lacks the musical depth that i get when i listen to my favorite jazz pianists.

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by on 02/13/2007, 10:38

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michel camilo over rated??

There are 12 comments, leave a comment.

by ayolt on 02/11/2007, 07:05

by Scot Ranney on 02/11/2007, 09:05

by CynBad on 02/11/2007, 10:02

by CynBad on 02/11/2007, 10:06

by grsbmd on 02/11/2007, 12:18

by jazzvirtuoso on 02/11/2007, 19:00

by BlackWhiteKey on 02/11/2007, 19:52

by rewsnat on 02/12/2007, 00:36

by on 02/12/2007, 17:07

by jazzvirtuoso on 02/12/2007, 20:55

by MoJazz on 02/13/2007, 03:17

by on 02/13/2007, 10:38

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michel camilo over rated??

There are 12 comments, leave a comment.

by ayolt on 02/11/2007, 07:05

by Scot Ranney on 02/11/2007, 09:05

by CynBad on 02/11/2007, 10:02

by CynBad on 02/11/2007, 10:06

by grsbmd on 02/11/2007, 12:18

by jazzvirtuoso on 02/11/2007, 19:00

by BlackWhiteKey on 02/11/2007, 19:52

by rewsnat on 02/12/2007, 00:36

by on 02/12/2007, 17:07

by jazzvirtuoso on 02/12/2007, 20:55

by MoJazz on 02/13/2007, 03:17

by on 02/13/2007, 10:38

Reply to Thread

Jazz Piano Notebook Series

"Latinesque"

LJP Jazz Piano Blogs

Most Recent Discussions

Articles

Top Sheetmusic Picks

Jazz piano education is cool.

Rock on. Follow your passion.

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